Copyright Joliet, IL Patch
Here's how. UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The Herbal Care, a locally owned dispensary on Lexington Avenue, recently made New York state history — it's the first legal cannabis retailer to unionize. The bud-tenders at the store, which opened in 2023 as one of the city’s early entrants into the state’s adult-use cannabis market, have joined Local 338 which is a New York cannabis union. The recent vote to unionize, founder Markel Bababekov told Patch, reinforces the shop’s commitment to employee rights, collaboration, and long-term sustainability as the state’s legal market continues to expand. "Unionizing is not just about business — it’s about building a better future for everyone involved," Bababekov said. For bud-tender Calib Wolters, unionizing means he's getting consistently 32 hours of work per week and that the entire staff got a $1.10 per hour raise up to make around $19 an hour. "I was concerned about turnover with prior staff, so I was happy to get the union behind us, just for representation and to hear our concerns," Wolters, an Upper East Sider and musician, told Patch. "Getting both [pay raises and hour minimums] up has helped immensely." As part of the union contract, the workers now have added recognized holidays, where bud-tenders on shift will make time-and-a-half pay. Bababekov told Patch he was in support of the workers unionizing. "The workers love that we became a union, they got some benefits that they wouldn’t have received otherwise," Bababekov told Patch. He added that nothing specific happened to drive the workers to unionize, but that a "strong majority of them" voted in favor of unionizing. "The workers wanted to unionize, which we were absolutely in favor of. So the union came did a vote, and after a long negotiation, we finally became a union last week," Bababekov said. This is not the first time this dispensary has made history. In 2024, The Herbal Care became the first legal weed store to open on the Upper East Side. Since opening, The Herbal Care has built a reputation for offering education-based customer service and a welcoming neighborhood atmosphere. The store’s latest move to unionize further establishes it as one of New York’s most forward-thinking dispensaries, Bababekov said. "We’re proud to lead by example and show that the cannabis industry can be both innovative and equitable," Bababekov said. "This is a groundbreaking moment for the New York cannabis community."
